New South Wales

One of the huge attractions of NSW is that it has just about everything. From tropical rainforests in the north to snowfields in the south, from beaches in the east to deserts in the west, from bustling glitter to absolute peace and isolation, it's all there somewhere.

Sydney is the site of the first European settlement in Australia and probably its best known city. It's richly alive, a place of ferries and fireworks, business and beaches, high-tech and history. Like the rest of NSW, it is infinitely diverse and endlessly fascinating.

From the outskirts of Sydney, the coastline stretches in a chain of long, sandy beaches to the Queensland border in the north and the Victorian border in the south. Several well-developed resorts have sprung up to cater for summer tourists, but you'll also find miles of sand where yours are the only footprints.

One of the coast's most popular destinations is Byron Bay in the state's tropical north. Despite its reputation as a getaway for the stars, Byron has retained an easy, laidback lifestyle that welcomes visitors to excellent surfing beaches, lush rainforest, fine restaurants and a culture of environmental awareness.

The Hunter Valley is famous for its fine wine. Just two hours' drive north of Sydney, the Hunter has over 100 cellar doors to visit, from boutique vineyards to wineries of international renown. Many of the vineyards have their own restaurants and serve the best of local produce to complement the local grape.

One of the problems facing the early settlers was the Great Dividing Range, a spine of mountains running the length of NSW from north to south and effectively trapping them on the coastal fringe. The solution came when three dauntless explorers finally crossed the Blue Mountains to the west of Sydney. This region is now a World Heritage Wilderness Area, its sheer, rugged magnificence a favourite place for bushwalkers, rock climbers and mountain bikers, or those who simply look and marvel that the crossing was ever achieved. The rolling pasturelands beyond in the state's Central West proved invaluable and still support a thriving rural industry.

Those who ventured further west were less impressed but the Outback of NSW has its own beauty: the red earth, blue skies and endless horizons that characterise the heart of Australia. National Parks protect the habitat for an abundance of wildlife drawn to a network of rivers and lakes in the area, and the clarity of the air gives camping under the stars a whole new meaning.

At the southern end of the Great Dividing Range is Mount Koscuiszko, Australia's highest mountain and the heart of the NSW high country. In ski resorts throughout the Snowy Mountains, sports enthusiasts gather to play, to party or to compete through the months of its white winter. Summer in the Snowies is equally popular, with bushwalkers following the trails through carpets of alpine flowers and sailors, anglers and water-skiers taking to the lakes.

From the glitter of Sydney to the clear sky of the outback, from riding a wave to riding a camel, from international cuisine to damper – somewhere in NSW you'll find it all.

NSW map